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Mayor and Council appear to come to the aid ...
#46
In answer to PauHana...

Fred has not exceeded my expectations by any measure. Thousands of council people across the country do quite well by filling pot holes, adding cross walks and building bus shelters. Fred is of that ilk. He's not much of a speaker and knows that. I personally wish he was more accessible. I could wish for more. I do consider him an improvement over the last council representative.

I voted for James in the last primary. He ran a great campaign in 2010. I had doubts about a PhD with a Kentucky accent winning and that proved true. I was immediately disappoint at the lack of grace he showed in defeat... proved to be about as thin skinned as Billy Kenoi.

My primary objection to James Weatherford has been his work to delay or prevent the release the $1.5 million in EIS funding for PMAR. James worked on the PCDP as did I and I accepted the community decisions. James seems to feel that the PCDP (Puna Community Development Plan) is a cafeteria affair. He has that in common with Bill Walter of Shipman Ltd. I support community decisions even when I don't fully agree with them.

PMAR has been in discussion for over twenty years. It is commonly known that a major transportation alternative is needed. Not for today. Today is here. The growth of Puna is set for a population of over 200,000 someday. Too many empty lots combined with the rate of growth makes it hard to ignore. This is life and death stuff. So I was absolutely appalled when James, muttering rather loudly "we've been screwed again!" as he left the AC meeting on ratifying the EIS funding moved on, with Bill Walter of Shipman LTD, to lobby against the funding.

I know him to be very alarmed that his neighborhood might be impacted by a future (15-20 years?) PMAR route. He is entitled to that. We will both likely be dead, gone or senile. But there is a point when, if you want to represent this district, that you have to accept the results of the Puna Community Development Plan. The whole idea of it was to have the community decide these things and not any individual. Respect the work of 1,200 people on this. It is the most community involvement we have ever been allowed.

So While James has his abilities and attributes, which are definitely different from Fred's, his attitude that he is wiser than the input of the whole community alarms me. Failure to move forward intelligently with PMAR, and it will take the EIS funding to do so, is foolish and dangerous. As population builds inadequate roads will lead to accidents and injury and deaths. I hold life and limb in higher regard than a small amount of acreage in the 2nd largest subdivision in the United States. He will rationalize in circles on it. It is called "motivated reasoning" where all data is steered toward a preconceived position.

So to sum up, I see Fred as being a perhaps average council person- I see James as already doing things that could be very damaging to Puna. A estimated $200 million infrastructure improvement will be the single largest event in Puna's history. Lives are and will be at stake. Once the eight year run of Hwy. 130 improvement starts I think many people will wake up. Many want everything to remain the same. That is not possible.

I see James as wanting to keep Puna barefoot and pregnant. PMAR will definitely improve the development of Village Centers. If you want someone to fully represent a small segment of HPP then James is your man. The whole district? I am worried.
Assume the best and ask questions.

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RE: Mayor and Council appear to come to the aid ... - by Rob Tucker - 07-23-2012, 07:24 AM

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